Schuylerville High School Principal Matthew Sickles has accepted a superintendent position with the Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District, located in Ontario County, southeast of Rochester. Sickles has served as high school principal and junior-senior high school principal for Schuylerville for the past 12 years.

“Mr. Sickles has been an exemplary leader in Schuylerville as a role model for his students and a mentor for his staff and fellow administrators,” said Jack Macica, Board of Education President. “While we are sad to see him leave, we support his desire to expand his leadership and recognize this as a great opportunity for him. He has certainly earned it and we are confident that he is prepared.”

Sickles was appointed on Monday, July 31 and will begin his official duties as superintendent on Sept. 1.

“The Schuylerville community has truly been like family and each of you has helped shape who I am as an educator and a person,” Sickles wrote in an e-mail to staff. “I know that the opportunity to become a superintendent would not have been possible without the many lessons I have learned from you.”

The district plans to appoint James Ducharme to high school principal at the Board of Education meeting on Aug. 14. Ducharme has served as assistant principal for both Schuylerville Middle School and Schuylerville High School for the past two years. Ducharme previously served as a school counselor at Cohoes High School for eight years.

An interim assistant principal will be in place until the end of December, as the district, with input from the school community, begins its extensive search for a permanent assistant principal.